And so it begins
by Grey'sDreamBeliever
Summary: Teddy/Henry. That's about all I can say to sum it up. I suck at summaries  and titles so I've just discovered  but please give it a chance. Pure unadulterated fluff. Final chapter now up, thanks so much for all your lovely reviews - much appreciated x x
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Shonda owns the characters and the show and everything. I own and have no claim to anything, other than the ides

…..

"That wasn't even the worst part…" Teddy Altman took another mouthful of Chinese food from the cardboard carton she was holding, before continuing her story. "The worst part was when he said he _admires people like me_ who try to _have it all_. I mean…" she paused again, this time to have a sip of cold beer from the bottle on the floor by her feet. She spat out the words as she quoted them, as if they disgusted her.

All the while Henry Burton was sat beside her, watching and listening intently to her tale. This had now become a regular occurrence - she would go on a date, then stop by his apartment on her way home. She'd relay the story of the date and he'd help her analyse it. Most of the time they were disastrous, like this one. She'd tell him all about the menu, the restaurant and the guy sat across the table from her, each time the details would change but ultimately the outcome was different. She'd be sat on his couch before 10pm telling him she'd wasted her time and she should have stayed home.

Henry couldn't help but watch her take another mouthful of beer, the way her lips gently came into contact with the glass as the delicately took a sip. He smiled inwardly as she again resumed her story.

."…And I don't know if he meant it because I'm a woman, or a Doctor, or just the type of person I am, but he was talking about me like I was a different species or something. That was the moment I decided I was out of there." She finished her noodles and set the empty box down on the coffee table in front of her.

"I hope you don't mind me turning up here like this. Again." She rested back into the sofa and turned to face Henry, sounding apologetic.

"Not at all. " He smiled warmly. "You bring food, you're welcome here anytime"

"Sometimes I think you're just using me Henry Burton. First my health insurance, now my take-out food" She pretended to scold him.

"You have got to be kidding me! You turn up here at all hours, you drink my beer and then you endlessly chew my ear off about your terrible dates. I think you're the user here." He raised his eyebrows and grinned widely.

"Okay, okay. I guess we're evens. So how was your food?" She nodded in the direction of the carton, which was still mostly full and resting on his lap.

"To be honest. Chinese food isn't my favourite…" He trailed off as she looked a little hurt. "It's ok, I'd eat it if I was hungry but I made a sandwich earlier, it's fine. I'm fine."

She tried to smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise. What kind of dreadful excuse for a wife am I? I don't even know that my husband doesn't like Chinese food. Come to think of it I don't know much about you. Aside from your medical background, I don't know you at all."

Henry smiled and tilted his head to one side. He sat cross-legged at one end of the small sofa, and she mirrored his pose just a foot away. "What do you wanna know? Ask me anything."

It was Teddy's turn to smile. "Twenty questions?" She asked.

"Sure. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"Once you've asked your twenty it's my turn. I don't know all that much about you either".

"You're on!" She held out her hand for him to shake and he took it, holding on for a few seconds longer than was necessary.

"Deal."

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So…Hi!

This is my first Grey's fic, and Teddy/Henry is my new obsession. Please review whether you think it's any good or not. I don't have a BETA and I was so excited to get this written that I've hardly proof read it either. There is more to come, and I'll update whether people want me to or not! x o x o


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Shonda owns the characters and the show . As usual I own nothing. More's the pity.

…..

"Okay, so here goes." Teddy swung her left leg off the edge of the couch and leant in closer to Henry. "So we've established you're not a fan of Chinese take out, but what's your favourite food?"

"That's easy. " Said Henry without hesitation. "The red velvet cupcakes that my Grandma used to make. After she dies my mom and me were clearing out her house and we found a huge batch of them in the freezer. I have never had one since that was as good as she made them. There's a little bakery on the high road out of Seattle that comes close but no one will ever beat Gramma Burton's."

"I never had you down as a cake person, I don't know why. Anyway, next question… What's your favourite movie?" Teddy had only asked two questions so far, but she was already enjoying getting to know her 'husband'.

"Ooh, that's a tough one. It think would have to be between 'Scarface' and 'The Shawshank Redemption'.

"Scarface? _Really? _Shawshank is a classic though, I'll give you that. Hmmmm. What's your middle name?" Teddy had seen him sign numerous hospital documents and forms as Henry D. Burton, but never knew what it stood for and it hadn't been readout in their wedding ceremony. Then again, neither was hers.

"Dean", he replied simply. "Henry Dean Burton. Not named after anybody, no family members or historical figures, it was just a name my mom picked."

Teddy tried to cover up a smile, as that would have been her next question.

"What's your biggest achievement? You know, what are you most proud of?""

"Oh, I don't wanna say. It's just a silly little thing.." he looked down into his lap, avoiding all eye contact with her.

"Please? I want to know these things about you Henry. I want to know you." She reached out and put her hand on his knee, trying to reassure him that he could share anything with her, his deepest darkest secrets. She would never tell a soul. He looked up slowly and their eyes connected, holding each other's gaze for a second before he looked away again.

"But it sounds so lame…"

"I'm sure it isn't." She cut him off.

"Alright," he began quietly. "I'm most proud of the fact that I've made it through so many major surgeries, some of them with less than 15% mortality rates and I'm ok. I may not be completely healthy, but I'm trying to live a relatively normal life, compared with what it was like before." His voice started to rise a few levels and Teddy could sense an anger she'd never seen in him before. "What I'm not proud of is that I had to rely on you to do it. Your generosity towards me, a complete _stranger, _saved my life. Now I know you've been to Iraq and saved many lives, heck, you save lives every day and that makes you pretty darn special. That _is _something to be proud of. But you saved my life in an entirely different way. You didn't operate on me, you're not my doctor, but you saved me. And what I'm least proud of is that I'll never be able to repay you." His voice was now scarcely a whisper as he blinked back tears. Teddy bit her lip to stop her own tears from falling too, and she took his hand from his lap and stared deeply into his eyes.

"Listen to me. You being _here_ now, being _happy_ is enough for me. Being alive…as my best friend. Because _you are _my best friend Henry. And all I need is for you to _be _here, with me. That's enough. That's the only repayment I need." She pulled him towards her and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Her arms were closed around the back of his neck and in that moment she never wanted to let him go.

His arms pulled her waist in to him, removing all space between their bodies. Her warm breath tickled the back of his neck and he could feel her every heartbeat through her chest. In that moment he knew he never wanted to let her go.

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So I hope you're enjoying so far. There is still more to come. Sorry it's such a slow burner. x o x o


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Shonda owns the characters and the show . As usual I own nothing. More's the pity.

…..

"Do you want me to leave?" Teddy didn't really want to go, but if it was what he wanted she would get up and leave.

"No. Stay. I mean… I'd like it if you stayed with me. I understand if you have to go." He desperately wanted her to stay with him. Having there made him forget about everything else. It made him happy.

" I can stay. I have work at noon tomorrow but I can go home and change in the morning." She wasn't sure whether he meant for her to stay the night or just to keep him company for a while, but she bit the bullet and offered to stay.

"I'd really like that…thank you." His appreciation was obvious.

"Can I finish my questions?" she asked tentatively. "Is that ok?"

"Sure. I'd be offended if you didn't." He smiled reassuringly.

"So…what's the cheesiest song in your music collection?" She had a cheeky glint in her eye and he knew she was trying to lighten the mood after the previous question.

"I have to pick just one? But I have so many." He too had a glimmer of mischief in his eye.

"Well I can accept a selection of your favourites, but be warned you will be judged on your answers." She leant over to the coffee table to pick up her beer and finish it off.

"My all time favourite would have to be 'Jessie's Girl' by Rick Springsteen. I bought it to console myself when I'd decided I was in love with my roommate's girlfriend. Truth is I didn't even like her all that much, I was just jealous he _had_ a girlfriend." He too finished off his beer.

"Well that's not so bad." She offered stifling a grin. "Mind if I get another?" she asked, nodding towards the empty bottles.

"Help yourself. I wouldn't say no to one either. I'll have to be careful though, too many of these and I might start telling you the really embarrassing answers." He called out over the back of the sofa to the general kitchen area.

"You're telling me there's a more cringe-worthy song than Rick Springsteen? Do tell, do tell." She handed him the cool bottle and clinked the top of hers against his. Her hand made the slightest contact with Henry's and she felt a spark of something. A warm fuzzy sensation passed all through her body and her heart began to beat a little faster.

"There is, but you have to promise you won't laugh."

"Scouts honour." She put her first two fingers on her free hand against her temple. He'd never know she wasn't a part of the whole scout thing.

"OK, here goes. I own a copy of the 'Dirty Dancing' soundtrack."

This time there was no disguising her amusement and she almost choked on a mouthful of beer.

"Oh…oh…" she spluttered between fits of laughter.

"Whoa! It's not that funny. It's a good job I didn't mention the second copy I bought when I though I'd lost the original" he grinned in a way that made her unsure of whether he was bluffing or not. She tried to compose herself.

"Oh, that is sweet. You try and make out like 'Shawshank Redemption' is your favourite movie when all this time you've been a closet chick-flick fanatic." She pointed her finger at him teasingly and he took a hold of it.

"in my defence…no wait, there is no defending that answer." He feigned shame.

"You're right, there isn't. She cupped his face with both hands, in the same way people do to babies or adorable children, and leant forwards. For a split second he thought she might kiss him. Her fingers gently stroked his cheeks "You have now ruined your hard-man image. In fact, I doubt you've ever even seen 'Scarface'. You probably just have a shelf full of weepies. And I bet you buy tissues by the bulk load."

She had the overwhelming urge to kiss him right now. It wasn't a feeling that hit her suddenly, she'd had it since he'd greeted her at the door when she arrived, but now it was taking all of her energy to refrain from doing it.

The next thing she was aware of was Henry's lips delicately pressing on hers. She didn't know who had instigated it but for now she didn't care. All she could think about was returning his kiss. It felt soft, delicate, almost timid. But it felt right

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Again, there's nothing much to it, but you were warned it was just fluff. x o x o


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Shonda owns the characters and the show . As usual I own nothing. Although I _really_ wish I did.

…..

He couldn't tell how long the kiss had lasted, it felt like a lifetime, but in the same instance it felt like just seconds – he never wanted it to end, but knew it should.

As he pulled away slowly he heard Teddy sigh. It sounded like contentment but he didn't dare to hope.

"I'm sorry… I don't know what I… why I…" he couldn't get the words out because he didn't know what he wanted to say. He wasn't sorry for kissing her, he just…

"Don't say it was a mistake. Please don't say that." she put in as he faltered.

"No it wasn't. I just…"

"Then don't apologise, just do it again." He didn't need to be told twice and immediately moved in to kiss her again. This time it was harder, stronger, more passionate. But it still felt right.

Teddy's arms settled low on Henry's waist, her fingers gripping on firmly to his t-shirt to confirm he was still there, and that this was real.

Henry's right hand meandered up to the nape of her neck, caressing the fine downy hair with the lightest possible touch.

The kiss came to a natural end, neither of them could hide their satisfaction.

"So… That was nice." Teddy pulled her arms from Henry's waist and stroked down his arms to hold his hands. He had no words to describe how wonderful it had been, he just nodded in agreement

She turned around slightly from her position facing him and snuggled into his underarm. His arm draped naturally over her shoulder and absent-mindedly traced circles on her arm with his fingers.

"I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I don't want to rush this. We might be married, technically, but it's early days. You know what I mean?" She looked up into his amber-green eyes and for the first time she realised how beautiful they were.

"Yeah. Completely. Now I don't want to sound like I'm pushing things, but I really want to go to bed. No pressure, I'm just exhausted." He yawned right on cue.

"She moved forward to stand and then hesitated. "Should I take the couch?"

"No...no...I will. You have the bed. My sheets are clean I promise. I'll go get a blanket."

"No, you can't give up your bed for me. I mean should I take the _couch, _or do you mind sharing? I don't take up too much room and I rarely steal the covers."

He seemed tentative. "You don't snore do you?"

"Well I guess there's only one way to find out," she almost whispered.

He pushed himself up from sitting to standing and offered Teddy his hand before leading her, purely innocently, to bed.

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	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: As usual I have no claim to anything, Shonda owns it all (isn't she lucky!)

Sorry for the short chapter 4, this one is a little longer. Thanks for all the positive reviews, this is where it ends. I may pick it up as a sequel at a later date and take it in a different direction. I'm also sorry that there's a lot of dialogue, but hey, some people have a lot to say.

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Henry was the first to wake the next morning. His left leg was entwined with Teddy's and he realised any movement would wake her. He lay still for a while and watched her sleep.

"_Gosh, you are beautiful_" he thought aloud, propping himself up on his elbow. The delicate blonde curls of her silky hair framed her pretty face perfectly; an angelic smile graced her lips. His heart warmed at the knowledge she was dreaming peacefully. He longed to reach out and touch her, hold her. A single curl had fallen across her face, but he hated to disturb her peace by moving it. After a few minutes of him silently admiring her, her eyelids began to flicker steadily.

"Hey you" he murmured.

"Good morning" she returned his greeting with a whisper, and pushed herself up a little so she was lay on her side and facing him. Henry couldn't conceal his smile any longer.

"What is it?" She asked. "Do I have bed-hair?" Her hand crept up and tried to tame her already perfect hair.

"It's nothing, I just… your hair looks lovely." His soft smile re-assured her. He sat right up and dropped his legs off the side of the bed. "You want breakfast?"

"Coffee would be great, thanks." She tried to keep a yawn at bay but it escaped anyway.

"One coffee coming up. Let me guess, milky with no sugar right?" he turned and asked as he reached the bedroom door.

"Right. How did you know?"

"Just a hunch" he shrugged. "But let's face it, it should be illegal to take it any other way."

She giggled as he leant across to the other side of the bed and kissed her quickly on the corner of her mouth before heading down the hallway to make her coffee.

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"I have something to ask you," Henry said as he slid back into bed and passed a steaming mug to Teddy.

"Ask away." She blew over the rim of the cup trying to cool it enough to drink some.

"What's your favourite movie?"

She looked at Henry with a blank look on her face.

"OK, what's your middle name?"

"Am I missing something? I… don't get it…" She raised an eyebrow and finally managed to take a sip of coffee. _Delicious._

"Last night you asked me those same questions, and more besides. Now, I said I'd only answer if I could ask you some too."

A look of recognition appeared on Teddy's face.

"You may not have made it to twenty questions but you learned a hell of a lot more about me than I did you. So now it's my turn." His tone was light and playful.

She set her cup down on the nightstand and turned to him, crossing her legs and sitting as close by him as possible.

"Armageddon." she said plainly. "And my middle name is Amelia, after my dad's grandmother. She was a nurse during the first world war."

"That's pretty, it suits you." He could have sworn he saw her blushing, but he'd never considered her the type. Being so incredibly smart and beautiful she must be complimented all the time right?

"Anything else you'd like to know?" she interrupted his train of thought. She half hoped that he wouldn't carry on with the game. She'd had fun last night finding out about Henry, but now she was the one _being_ interrogated she felt slightly uncomfortable. She spent all day asking her patients questions about how they were feeling, asking interns about procedures. The only questions people ever asked of her were about diagnosis, or recovery or life expectancy. These questions were personal, like she was giving away a part of herself.

"I won't ask anything to heavy, I promise." He sensed her unease. He had a feeling Teddy wasn't one of those people who liked to share secrets. She nodded in agreement and told herself to relax. It was only fair to return the favour after all. If there was one person she wanted to share herself with it was Henry.

"What is your guilty pleasure?" He asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"I have too many to share," she teased, "where do I start? Um… the last time I had some time off work I stayed in the house for three days straight and had a TV and movie marathon. I lived off of pizza deliveries and didn't even bother to get dressed properly; I just changed one pair of pyjamas for another. _What else?…_ Oh, I like to go sit in the park on sunny days and watch the world go by. Only, by the world I mean _people_… I just love to watch people."

"Me too." He nodded.

"Like you were watching me sleep this morning? She enquired.

"No I wasn't. I… I didn't want to move and wake you up so I just had to lie still. I was only awake a few minutes before you." If he hadn't have been looking so flustered right now Teddy may have believed him.

"Sure you were! Anyhow, next question." She reverted back to the game to ease his embarrassment, even if she did think it was endearing.

"What's your biggest regret?" he continued, although still feeling a little humiliated at being caught out.

"I honestly don't know." She shook her head a little. She really tried to think of something so he wouldn't think she had anything to hide, but nothing sprang to mind. " I don't think I have any."

"So no regrets about marrying me? Or us kissing last night?" If he was being completely truthful to himself (and to Teddy) Henry was feeling insecure. Kissing Teddy was what he had wanted, last night and now. He wanted more than anything to kiss her again, but he wasn't exactly sure what she wanted.

"None at all." She beamed and leant in to kiss him lovingly, reassuringly. "Do you?" she asked as she sat back against the bed-board.

"Have regrets? Plenty." He stopped to take hold of Teddy's hand as a panic-stricken look swept over her face and her naturally glowing complexion faded. "None to dwell on, and definitely not about marrying you. Or kissing you for that matter. In fact I think that's my biggest achievement. _You _are what I'm proudest of. " He referred to her question from the night before.

She deftly pushed his arm away as he inclined to kiss her again and moved slightly out of his reach. She feigned looking angry with him for momentarily scaring her, but couldn't keep up the pretence for long. She moved back across to his side of the bed and nestled into the crook of his arm.

"I don't really believe in regrets to be honest. I make mistakes, but doesn't everybody? I might regret things for a while but I don't hold on to them. As long as you learn how to do things right next time and don't make the same mistakes over and over, then surely getting things wrong is just a part of life… like a learning experience." She was philosophical, and Henry could tell she was thinking of a particular regret that she may have had. He didn't want to push her on it, so he let it go.

Their conversation came to a natural end and a comfortable silence filled the room for a few minutes.

"I'll have to go home soon, to shower and change" Teddy spoke first, glancing at the clock beside the bed, before taking a large gulp of coffee.

"One more question, before you go. Please?" Henry wanted to spend all day learning about Teddy. She hadn't told him much about herself, but every new thing he found out was like she was sharing her secrets with him. Like best friends do.

She saw a look in his eyes that she recognised as the same one they'd conveyed on the day she first met him. She couldn't call it begging, but it was a kind of heartfelt pleading and she couldn't have said no if she'd wanted to. Not that she did want to.

"Of course. Anything you like."

"What's on your bucket list?" He asked it the same way he would ask what she wanted for dinner, as if it was just a regular question.

"On my what? What the hell is a bucket list? I'm pretty sure I don't have one whatever it is." She almost burst out laughing, and Henry obviously found her confusion funny.

"It's a list of things you want to do before you die."

She still didn't understand.

"Before you kick the bucket…"

"Aaah, right. Well, I guess I've never really thought about it before. I spend hours every day trying to stop people from dying. I don't have time to think about my own mortality."

A slightly awkward silence descended. Teddy tried to break it as quickly as possible.

"Do you have a list?"

"I started to make one a few months ago, when my prognosis wasn't so great." He stared blankly at the wall opposite, barely blinking.

"What did you put on it?" she whispered, daring herself to ask him.

"I wanted to do a bungee jump, and see the sights around Europe. And go scuba diving in tropical waters. I looked into doing all of those things, but it's kinda hard to get insurance for death defying adrenaline trips when you've already been told you're going to die pretty soon. People just don't want to know." His voice was drenched with sadness, but not a hint of self-pity.

Teddy ran her hand along his forearm. "Is there anything else you want to do?"

"I don't know. I stopped making the list when I found out I couldn't do the first few things on it." He paused and composed himself for a second. "When I was told the full extent of VHL I was determined to make the most of the time I had left, but it started to seem like I'd have to stay home and wait around to die."

Her hands stopped running up and down his arm and reached up to his chin, gently turning his head to face her. "There must be something you want to do that's not off limits… We'll talk about it later and then we'll make it happen, but right now I'm sorry I really have to go. It's already eleven, I have to be at the hospital in an hour."

"Sure. I'm sorry about bumming you out right before work. Let me take you out to dinner tonight, to make it up to you." His sadness faded as quickly as it had arrived.

"That sounds great, but I can't. I don't get off work until ten-thirty." Her tone was apologetic. He looked dejected but he knew she didn't have a regular 'nine to five' job.

"How about a drink?" She suggested, the disappointment on his face was obvious and she hated it. "I'll swing by here on my way home and pick you up, is that ok?"

"Great. See you about eleven?"

Teddy kissed him quickly, twice on the lips one once on his forehead before leaping off the bed and throwing her clothes on from the night before. Henry kindly offered her a clean t-shirt to change into, so she could go straight to work, but she declined gracefully. If the UCLA sweater he'd given her to wear last night was anything to go by, her colleagues would be asking questions as soon as she arrived at the hospital. She wasn't being ungrateful, but she wanted to take things slowly, and answering those kinds of questions was always hard work.

She gave Henry one last kiss as she headed out to work.

"I'll ring you this afternoon if I can get a break." she called as she made her way out of the bedroom and down the hallway. As she turned to close the front door behind her, Henry appeared in the sitting room.

"Have a good day." were his parting words. Teddy closed the door behind her, but not before she shot him a dazzling smile, leaving Henry to fall back onto the sofa and reminisce about their first night together. The first of many, he hoped.

...

...

I know it was a pointless story, and nothing really _happened, _but I love to write fluff. Grey's doesn't give us enough fluff in my opinion

Anyway, thanks again for the reviews, they're much appreciated and far nicer than I expected. For now I'm off to write my next story. Tenry fluff, obvs.


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